Cheatlation. Yes, that is how it should be spelled

From this week's update to The Millenium Project

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/

Cheatlation. Yes, that is how it should be spelled (27/8/2005)

On Tuesday, August 23, a 5-year-old boy named Abubakar Tariq Nadama
was killed by a quack in Portersville, Pennsylvania. (Read the story
here.) He died because his mother believed that a charlatan could cure
the boy's autism using a process called chelation. The killer, a real
doctor named Kelly, is not saying much but the story is being spread
around that the boy was being treated for lead poisoning. Of course
this will be the story, because that is the only legal use of the
chelating drug administered by the quack and he has to make sure that
the FDA don't shut him down and his victims' parents can claim on
their health insurance. Put another way, the quack is not only a
killer but he practices insurance fraud. The mother is quite clear
that she brought her son from England to have the mercury taken out of
him, not lead. If Abubakar had been suffering from lead poisoning he
would have been eligible for treatment under the British National
Health Service, and nobody can claim that the parents didn't know this
because the father is employed by the NHS.

The fraud of chelation is just another way for charlatans and
criminals to steal more money from the parents of autistic children.
They lie about mercury in vaccines, they lie about the ability of EDTA
to chelate mercury (it is far more likely to extract calcium, leading
to heart failure), they lie about the results they get.. They care
about nothing but money, and what makes it worse is that these
criminals are supported and endorsed by organisations (like Generation
Rescue and TAAP) which pretend to be acting in the interests of
autistic children.

Here are some quotes from alternative medicine supporters expressing
their outrage at this needless death:

- The boy who died from EDTA chelation treatment would be just as dead
if it had been done to him for lead poisoning

- Of course, the press will probably not mention some of the ugly
truths that are out there about how our children die from other
treatments

- Abubakar is a "true soldier in the struggle"
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com

"Peter Bowditch" wrote in message
...

The mother is quite clear
that she brought her son from England to have the mercury taken out of
him, not lead. If Abubakar had been suffering from lead poisoning he
would have been eligible for treatment under the British National
Health Service, and nobody can claim that the parents didn't know this
because the father is employed by the NHS.

If he had been suffering from Mercury poisioning he would also have got NHS
treatment.

"Peter Bowditch" wrote in message
...
From this week's update to The Millenium Project

snip spam + proven lying websites
--
Peter Bowditch

"Peter Bowditch" wrote in message
...
From this week's update to The Millenium Project

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/


Peter,

This week's update is in top form. Bravo!

One of the champions of the "let's chelate mercury" bunch has written a "it
is not my fault" at the "Huff and Puff" blog:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-...he_b_6286.html
.... gag, ick, yuck

My hope is that the mother from the UK actually reveals that she got the
idea from reading Kirby's book. Someone really has to explain WHY an "ear,
nose and throat" doctor was sticking an IV with EDTA into a kid.

The loony-toon email was an eye-opener. Personally I hate all the doo-dads
done with emails, usually the choice made by some relatives to put purple
font on a blue background with decorative squiggles. It makes my eyes hurt.

First, to be clear, chelation is not an alternative medicine but a
conventional therapy for heavy-metal detoxification that has been in
use since the 1940s. It still is. Some research shows chelation to be
effective in atherosclerotic patients, as well, but AMA and the drug
makers are resistant to such evidence. Do you suppose the expiration
of an otherwise profitable patent on EDTA has anything to do with that?
Of course not, you're a Pharma Blogger. As for heavy metals, mercury
is almost as effectively removed by chelation as lead, and regardless
of mercury load, or reasons for adminstering, chelation for mercury
works the same as it does for lead. This death may have resulted from
an allergic response to one of the chemicals used, but chelation does
work. If your complaint is that a doctor used a standardized treatment
for a non-standardized detox, then let's be clear that you are not
faulting a useful mainstream therapy, but rather the doctor for
performing what you believe to be an unnecessary medical procedure,
without which the child would still be alive. Just as importantly, do
you know the physiology of the child or his health status prior to his
mother seeking help? No, you don't. Do you know what consultation
regarding risk was offered to the parents prior to their child being
treated? No, you don't. When is the last time you raised holy hell
about the +100,000 deaths resulting from side effects of prescription
drugs each year, about which FDA does little or nothing?

PeterB

"PeterB" wrote in message
ups.com...
First, to be clear, chelation is not an alternative medicine but a
conventional therapy for heavy-metal detoxification that has been in
use since the 1940s. It still is.

So why would you let a little kid be stuck with an IV with EDTA by an "ear,
nose and throat" doctor?



Some research shows chelation to be
effective in atherosclerotic patients, as well, but AMA and the drug
makers are resistant to such evidence.

Not really. Plug the terms "chelation EDTA" into www.pubmed.gov and you
will get dozens of studies showing it does not work for atherosclerotic
patients.


Do you suppose the expiration
of an otherwise profitable patent on EDTA has anything to do with that?
Of course not, you're a Pharma Blogger.

And you are pushing the businesses of those who sell EDTA chelation for
heart conditions.

As for heavy metals, mercury
is almost as effectively removed by chelation as lead, and regardless
of mercury load, or reasons for adminstering, chelation for mercury
works the same as it does for lead.

Not really. EDTA is lousy for mercury. And if there is no lead (or
mercury) in the system it sucks up the available calcium and other essential
elements required for the proper functioning of the organs (like, say the
HEART... look up hypocalcemia). There are better ones, even the more rabid
anti-vax chelator champions know this.

This death may have resulted from
an allergic response to one of the chemicals used, but chelation does
work.

NEWSFLASH!!! Dr. Kelly is also an allergist! Do you think he might know
something about allergies? See he
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache...&client=safari
(the cached site of the Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which has since
removed him... Dr. Kerry is listed as: Roy E. Kerry, MD,
ENT & Allergy Assoc.

The most likely explanation is hypocalcemia because the EDTA pulled the
calcium out of the kid's blood.


If your complaint is that a doctor used a standardized treatment
for a non-standardized detox, then let's be clear that you are not
faulting a useful mainstream therapy, but rather the doctor for
performing what you believe to be an unnecessary medical procedure,
without which the child would still be alive. Just as importantly, do
you know the physiology of the child or his health status prior to his
mother seeking help? No, you don't. Do you know what consultation
regarding risk was offered to the parents prior to their child being
treated? No, you don't. When is the last time you raised holy hell
about the +100,000 deaths resulting from side effects of prescription
drugs each year, about which FDA does little or nothing?

PeterB

A shill for the husksters who sell hope and deliver nothing, or worse death
to desparate parents.

In article ,
Peter Bowditch wrote:

From this week's update to The Millenium Project

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/

Cheatlation. Yes, that is how it should be spelled (27/8/2005)

Sadly for the poor boy, it was a clean kill.

--
Orac |"I am not *trying* to tell you anything. I am simply not
| interested in trying to compensate for your amazing lack
| of observation."
| http://oracknows.blogspot.com

In article , "HCN"
wrote:

"Peter Bowditch" wrote in message
...
From this week's update to The Millenium Project

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/


Peter,

This week's update is in top form. Bravo!

One of the champions of the "let's chelate mercury" bunch has written a "it
is not my fault" at the "Huff and Puff" blog:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-...he_b_6286.html

... gag, ick, yuck

My hope is that the mother from the UK actually reveals that she got the
idea from reading Kirby's book. Someone really has to explain WHY an "ear,
nose and throat" doctor was sticking an IV with EDTA into a kid.

I was wondering that myself. He probably discovered he could make a lot
more money doing chelation therapy; it's very profitable.

Of course, I have to ask whether he had the necessary safeguards in
place for such a treatment, at the very least a cardiac monitor, a fully
stocked crash cart, and personnel trained in PALS (Pediatric Advanced
Life Support, the pediatric equivalent to ACLS) readily available. If a
patient suffers a cardiac arrest from hypocalcemia brought on by EDTA
chelation, there won't be time to get him to a hospital.

--
Orac |"I am not *trying* to tell you anything. I am simply not
| interested in trying to compensate for your amazing lack
| of observation."
| http://oracknows.blogspot.com

In article . com,
"PeterB" wrote:

First, to be clear, chelation is not an alternative medicine but a
conventional therapy for heavy-metal detoxification that has been in
use since the 1940s. It still is. Some research shows chelation to be
effective in atherosclerotic patients,

No it doesn't. The "some" research to which you refer comes from old
studies with inadequate controls. Every randomized, double-blind
placebo-controlled trial since the early 1990's (save one with only 10
patients that was never expanded upon) has failed to find any benefit to
chelation greater than placebo. No study has ever documented objectively
measured decreases in atherosclerotic plaque due to chelation.


as well, but AMA and the drug
makers are resistant to such evidence. Do you suppose the expiration
of an otherwise profitable patent on EDTA has anything to do with that?
Of course not, you're a Pharma Blogger.

But EDTA chelation *is* quite profitable for doctors administering it.
It's a relatively cheap drug and they charge $100 per infusion or more.
For atherosclerotic disease, usually 20-40 infusions are recommended.
That's a nice chunk of change per patient.


As for heavy metals, mercury
is almost as effectively removed by chelation as lead, and regardless
of mercury load, or reasons for adminstering, chelation for mercury
works the same as it does for lead.

Actually, no it doesn't. Lead is quite tightly bound to tissue proteins
containing -SH groups. EDTA is not as strong a binder of mercury as
these proteins. To remove mercury, you need to use a chelation agent
containing -SH groups that has a higher affinity for mercury than the
tissue proteins.


This death may have resulted from
an allergic response to one of the chemicals used, but chelation does
work.

Chelation only works for documented cases of heavy metal poisoning.
There is no evidence it "works" for cardiovascular disease and even less
evidence that it "works" for autism.

[Snip ranting]

--
Orac |"I am not *trying* to tell you anything. I am simply not
| interested in trying to compensate for your amazing lack
| of observation."
| http://oracknows.blogspot.com

"CWatters" wrote:


"Peter Bowditch" wrote in message
.. .

The mother is quite clear
that she brought her son from England to have the mercury taken out of
him, not lead. If Abubakar had been suffering from lead poisoning he
would have been eligible for treatment under the British National
Health Service, and nobody can claim that the parents didn't know this
because the father is employed by the NHS.

If he had been suffering from Mercury poisioning he would also have got NHS
treatment.



That too.

--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com